Diamond Comic Distributors has announced that Massive Publishing, known for its inaugural imprint, Whatnot Publishing, will move into the Deluxe Tier with the June 2023 PREVIEWS catalog. In its first six months of publication, Massive distributed over 800,000 units to shops around the world. Massive has also announced 2 new imprints, the release of Sean Gordon Murphy‘s The Plot Holes, and will be distributing Sumerian Comics to the retail and direct market.

Sean Gordon Murphy’s new comic!

Massive’s first non-imprint series is the long-awaited retail release of The Plot Holes by writer/illustrator, Sean Gordon Murphy. With the release of the mini-series, Murphy makes his return to his creator-owned roots for the first time since building his own groundbreaking Batman universe at DC Comics in 2017.

Murphy, who won an American Library Association award with his first ever creator-owned book Off Road (released by Oni in 2005) will kick-off the MASSIVE flagship line this August, with cover variants by legendary artist such as Walt Simonson, Klaus Janson, Dan Panosian, Matteo Scalera, and more.

Two new imprints!

Massive also will mark its move to the Deluxe Tier category with the launch of multiple new imprints, significantly expanding its publishing footprint. Each new imprint will have its own unique flavor and creative direction spearheaded by a mix of established trailblazers in the industry and up-and-coming voices. They include…

Overlook: Catering to readers with a penchant for the macabre, the horror focused imprint will be helmed by arguably the most prolific horror writer in comics today, Cullen Bunn and Hustle & Heart Films CEO Heath Amodio. The high-end horror brand will also feature a who’s who of show runners and writers from across the Film and TV space alongside comic industry pros.

Kingwood Comics: An imprint focused on Black characters and stories will launch this September with the first retail distribution of the celebrated series Harriet Tubman, Demon Slayer, soon to be a live-action series on Disney +. The books creator, David Crownson will helm the Kingwood imprint as it builds on the legacy of diverse creators in comic books and highlights groundbreaking talent such as Courtland Ellis, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Caanan White, Khary Randolph, and more.

Sumerian distribution!

Sumerian Comics: The publishing arm of Sumerian Records will join forces with Massive this fall as it shifts its primary publishing focus to licensed TV, Film and Music related properties curated by Co-Publishers Nathan Yocum and Ryan Swanson. Sumerian’s first release will be Bad Omens: Concrete Jungle #1, the comic series inspired by the popular band of the same name.